Pumping system



Dec. 24, 1929. w. c. PARRlsH PUMPING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 28. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 24,` 1929.

w. c. PARRlsH 1,74l,ll5

PUMPING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 28. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMPING SYSTEM Application filed September 28, 1922. Serial No. 591,040.

This invention relates to processes and apparatus for fluid displacement or pumping by means of pneumatic pressure or the pressure of compressed air or other fluids.

Among the principal objects of my invention are to aehieye a maximum efliciency in the displacement of fluids and to provide pumping systems that shall be partially or wholly independent of those factors of pump- Io 'mg eommonly known by the term submergence.

The term submergence as used herein is understood to mean that depth belowthe .surface level of the lower liquid body at 'which the outlet of the air or other pumping medium must be applied. In prior systems of pumping by pneumatic pressure it has been neces- Sary for the depth of this point of submergence to bear a fixed relation to the eleyation head or pressure against which the displacement is accom Jlished'. Now the ratio of this submergence actor in relation to the displacement, back pressure, or pumping .head is often so high as to constitute a handicap to pumping Operations; and moreoyer when the ratio ohtaining between the two is disturbed (as for instance when the level of the liquid being displaced is lowered due to the rate of puniping exceeding the rate of inflow) pump- 33 ing either ceases or becomes ineflicient. In cases where the liquid being pumped happens to be held in a strata of underground soil it is by the very aet of reducing this underground liquid leyel that a grayity under- 33 ground pressure is created which operates to oyereome the resistance or obstruction met with in the subsoil thereby causing the liquid to flow to the well more rapidly. It is apparenttherefore that my inyention by being cal-f pable of redueing the normal underground liquid level of the well without thereby sacrificing pumping efliciency is thus capable of functioning in the capacity of increasing the pumping output of wells. It is to be noted 'J thatin the practice of my inyention where it is possible to utilize a. high factor of submergence this may be done with an increase in pumping efficiency. Howeyer` the princi- W ples underlying the operation of my inyen- 'Lion are such thatin the practice thereof the pumping or raising of fluids may be carried on entirely independent of all submergence tfactors' other than the comparatively small amount of submergence necessary to refill a displacement chamber by an inflow acting under gray-'ity pressure.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a system of pumping which shall be elastic and readily conformable to variable pumping conditions and in the case of Well puniping to Areduce to a minimum all mechanical parts positioned underground where repairs or adjustments would prove troublesome.

Broadly and generally my invention may be said to comprehend a system of pumping in which a displacement chamber is filled With the fluid to be pumped and fluid under pressure is applied to the' chamber in such a manner as todisplace the fluid to be pumped and force it through a conduit. The pumping is carried on by subjecting the fluid to be pumped to a succession of pressure impulses, suitable timing apparatus being provided for releasing the confined pressure on the fluid in the displacement chamber and exhausting this pressure in such a manner that the residualfluid under compression derived from the displacement chamber may be utilized for further pumping.

It is to be noted that my inyention is particularly adapted for raising fluids such as oil, water, and the like contained in underground strata. In the application of my inyention to the raising of fluids contained in underground strata a displacement chamber is inserted within the fluid stratum in such a manner that it may be filled with fluid from the stratum by means of gravity, by the action of a yacuum or by other means. The fluid thus collected in the chamber is displaced by means of fluid pressure applied to the upper surface thereof and is discharged into a conduit by which it is brought to the surface, the residual pressure remaining in the chamber after the fiuid is thus displaced being relieved so that the chamber may again be filled with the fluid to be pumped and the exhaust of the residual pressure fluid being accomplished in such a manner that the residual pressure may be utilized in the work of raising the fluid up through the conduit to the surface. Thus after each discharge of fluid from the chamber to the conduit the pumping medium is discharged into the conduit which is provided with suitable valve mechanism so that this residual pressure thus relieved into the conduitJ may be utilized in giving the fluid therein an upward propulsion, this propulsion being effected by the expansion of the compressed fluids thus discharged into the conduit.

It may be noted that my invention has a special field of usefulness 'in pumping oil wells. Oil well pumping generally embodies deep well pumping in which a pumping head pressure in excess of 700 pounds to the square inch is commonly used. The usual pneumatic pumping agent employed is air the application of which under such high pressures to the combustible hydrocarbons is liable to engender spontaneous explosions. It becomes necessary to devise some means of pumping in this manner in which this danger will Vnot be present. A further feature of my invention,therefore, involves the utilization of non-oxidizing gases such as carbon dioxide which may be obtained from the exhaust of the gas or oil engines employed in Operating the compressors required in the pumping operation or from Vany other suitable source. The admission of pumping gases to the oils has a tendency to extract and carry away in solution the `lighter components of the oil but when a non=oxidizing gas is used for this purpose the dangers of explosion incident to such a use of air are avoided. i

In order to more fully disclose my invention a detailed description thereof will now be made, reference being had to the accompanyi ing drawings in which the invention is specifically illustrated as applied'to the raising of underground fluids.

Figure 1 is a Vertical section diagrammatic in Character of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and constituting an embodiment thereof.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic Vertical section of a modified form of apparatus.

F igure 3 is a diagrammatic Vertical section of another type of apparatus.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section of a portion of Figure 3.

In the apparatus shown in Figure 1, 10 represents a well casing or conduit ex'tending from the surface to a stratum 11 of oil, water, gas, or other fluid which it is desired to pump to the surface. The conduit 10 is provided with an inlet 12 controlled'by a valve 13 so arranged that it will admit fluid into the conduit 10 but will prevent the discharge through the port 12 of fluid from the conduit. A screen which is diagrammatically represented at 14 may be employed if desired. The

conduit is provided with a discharge outlet 15. A closure 16 divides the conduit 10 into a lower inlet section and an upper outlet section, a check valve 17 being provided to admit fluid from the inlet into the outlet section but prevent the back-flow of fluid from the outlet to the inlet section. The closure 16 is preferably positioned below the level of the substratum 11.

Suitably mounted within the conduit 10 below the closure 16 is a displacement chamber 18 which is arranged to communicate with the lower portion of the conduit preferablyv by having an open bottom, as illustrated. A pressure pipe 19 is connected to a compressor or`` suitable source of fluid pressure and is adapted to admit a pumping medium to the upper portion of the chamber 18. As illustrated, the pipe 19 is adapted to be connected through suitable valve mechanism, hereinafter described, to a main supply pipe 20 which extends to a suitable source of compressed air, such as the compressed air tank 21.

The timing apparatus or interrupter which is adapted to regulate the impulses of pressure fiuid applied to the chamber 18 and to control the admission of the residual pressure gases into the conduit 10 assumes the form of a valve casing 22 in which is suitably mounted the slide valve 23. The valve chamber 22 is provided with a port 24 for the pipe 20, a port 25 for the pipe 19, and a port 26 for a pipe 27 which extends downwardly within the conduit 10. The valve 23 is provided with a port 28 adapted to register With ports 24, 25, and 26 in such manner that when the valve is in the upwai'd position ports 24 and 25 are placed in communication and when in the lowered position ports 25 and 26 are placed in communication, the v'lve thus functioning to connect alternately, the pipes 20 and 19 and the pipes 19 and 27. The valve 23 is provided with a valve rod 29 which is attached by means of a connecting rod 30 to a lever 31 fulcrumed at 32 and provided with a weight 33 which tends to move the valve 23 in downward position L so as to place the pipes 19 and'27'in communication.

The valve 23 is moved upwardly so asrto connect the ports 24 and 25 of the lines 20 and 19, respectively, by means of residual pressure from the pipe 27. Thus a chamber 34 containi'ng oil or other fluid is provided With a pipe 35 communication with the valve casing 22. The pipe 27 is provided with a branch line 36 which may have a valve 37 and which terminates in a cylinder or tube 38 the open end of which terminates in the fluid contained within the chamber 34.

In starting the apparatus the lever-431 may be raised manually so that the ports 24 and 25 will be placed in communication with port 28 with the result that fluid under pressure passes `from the line 20 and thence through the line 19 into the displacement chamber 18. Fluid collected in this Chamber is thus forced downwardly and out through the bottom of the Chamber into the conduit 10 and upwardly through the valve 17, the valve 13 preventing the escape of the fluid into the substratuin 11. The instant that the chamber 18 is freed of liquid there will be a fluctuation in pressure which may be observed by means of a pressure gage 39 in the pipe 19. It should be noted, however, that it is not necessary that the liquid collected in the Chamber 18 be entirely displaced since if the chamber be only partially emptied the operation may still be carried on. Vhen the lever 31 is moved downwardly by the Weight 33 the valve 23 is moved so as to stop the supply of pressure fluid from the pipe 20 and place the pipes 19 and 27 in communication with the result that the residual pressure fiuids Contained in the pipe 19 and chamber 18 are relieved into the pipe 27 and thus discharged into the liquid contained in the pipe 10. The expansion of the pumping medium thus discharged into the conduit 10 operates to give the liquid Contained therein an upward propulsion, the valve 17 preventing the discharge of fluid downwardly. The release of pressure in the lower portion of the conduit 10 permits the fluid in the sub-stratum 11 to flow by gravity through the valve 13 and thus into the chamber 18. The lever 31 is again raised in order to again discharge the pumping medium into the chamber 18. This cycle of operation is Continued until fluid appears in the outlet 15 when the operation becomes automatic.

It is to be noted that the weight 33 is so adjusted that it represents a balance intermediate between the initi al pressure imposed on the chamber 18 and the average discharge back pressure exerted against the lower outlet of the ipe 27. The back pressure in pipe 27 is ependent upon the submergence of the outlet thereof below the discharge level of the liquid in conduit 10 and the submergence of the pipe 27 when using the apparatus shown in Figure 1 is ordinaril'v dependent upon the pressure that is exerted on the valve 13 due to its submergence below the level of the subsoil fluid: it is apparent that the pressure in the Chamber 18 must be relieved to such an extent that it will be overcome by the pressure in the subsoil tending to raise the valve 13 so as to permit the infl'uxs of fluid into conduit 10 and chamber 18.

In the automatic operation of the apparatus of Figure 1 when the valve 23 is in the upper position the pumping medium is discharged through the lines 20 and 19 into the chamber 18 and thus operates to discharge liquid therefrom into the conduit 10. The valve 23 is moved down by means of the weighted lever 31 but the downward movement is retarded by the resistance which the fluid encounters in passing through the pipe 35 from the Chamber 22 to the chamber 34 and also by the residual back pressure of the imprisoned air in pipe 27 that has accumulated during the previous cycle of operation. l/Vhen the valve 23 has reached the lower position the supply of pumping medium from the pipe 20 is cut off and connection is established through the ports 25 and 26 between the pipe 19 and pipe 27 with the result that the pressure in the chamber 18 and line 19 is relieved into the pipe 27 which discharges the pumping medium into the conduit 10 against the head of the fluid contained therein. The expansion of the fluid thus discharged into the conduit 10 operates to give an upward propulsion to the contents of the conduit. The rate at which the pumping medium is discharged into the conduit 10 is determined by the extent of the head of liquid above the outlet of pipe 27. The force exerted on the valve 23 by the weighted lever 31 is so regulated that it may be overcome by the back pressure which is communicated to the contents of the chamber 34 by the branch line 3G of pipe 27. It is apparent that the pressure in pipe 27 is at a maximum the moment that the pipes 19 and 27 are placed in communication due to the fact that the pumping medium has, immediately preceding this opening, overcome the entire pressure in the lower portion of conduit 10 in the emptying of chamber 18. A part of this maximum pressure is thus applied through the pipe 36 to the contents of the chamber 34 with the result that the force of the Weight 33 is overcome and the valve 23 is moved into the upper position thus breaking communication between the pipes 27 and 19 and re-establishmg communication between the pipes 20 and 19 thereby allowing another charge of pressure fluid to be discharged into the pipe 19 and chamber 18. In the meantime the pressure in pipe 27 and branch pipe 36 is being reduced so that the weight 33 overcomes the back pressure and moves the valve 23 to the lower position. The repetition of the cycle c thus operates to withdraw fluid from the sub-stratum 11 and discharge it through the conduit 10 and outlet 15.

In Figure 2 an interrupter or valve mechanism is shown which is perhaps more positive in its action than that shown in Figure 1. It will be seen that a piston valve 40 is mounted within a cylinder constituting a valve casing 41 and is provided with a port 4-2 adapted to register on its upward stroke with ports 43 and 44 so as to cstablish communication between the pipe 20, which leads to the source of the pumping medium, and the pipe 19 which is adapted to Conduct the pressure fluids to the displacement Chamber 18. The valve Chamber is also provided with a port which in the lower position of the piston valve 40 is adapted to be placed in communication with ports 42 and 44 so as to establish connection between the pipe 19 and the pipe 27 which discharges the residual pressure fluids into the conduit 10. Operatively connected to the valve 40 as by means of a connecting rod 40a is another piston valve 46 which is mounted in a separate casing or chamber 47. The valve 46 is equipped with a port 48 which when the valve 40 is in the upper position is adapted to register With ports 49 and 50 in the casing 47 and which in the lower position of the valve 40 is adapted to register with an exhaust port 51 and port 50. The pipe 20 is provided with a branch line 52 which may have a valve 53 and which communicates with the port 49. A pipe 54 extends from the port 50 of the Valve chamber 47 to a chamber 55 which contains a fluid, such as oil for example. A pipe 56, which may have a valve 57, serves to establish connection between the chamber 55 and the upper portion of the valve casing 41 above the valve or piston 40, the pipe preferably depending into the chamber 55 as illustrated. Extending from the lower portion of the valve casing 41 is a pipe 58, which may have a valve 59, and which extends into a chamber 60. The branch pipe 36 of the pipe 27 conveys residual pressure fluid to the chamber 60.

In operation, with the valve 40 in the upper position, fluid under pressure is admitted from the source 21 through the pipe 20, ports 43, 42, and 44 and thence through pipe 19 into the displacement chamber 18. The pressure in the line 20 is also exerted, however, on the contents of the chamber 55 since with the port 48 of valve 46 registering With ports 49 and 50 the pressure medium passes through pipes 52 and 54 into the chamber 55. Pressure is thus exerted on the contents of this chamber and by reason of the pipe 56 this pressure is transmitted to the upper end of the piston valve 40 and thus operates to move the valve downward cutting off the supply of pumping medium from the pipe 20 and placing the pipes 19 and 27 in communication so that the residual pressure fluids are discharged through the pipe 27 into the conduitI 10 and in the resultant expansion operate to propel fluid from the conduit 10. The downward movement of valve 40 brings about a coincident movement of valve 46 and causes port 48 to register with the exhaust outlet 51 so that the pressure in the chamber 55 and pipe 54 is relieved. lVith the resultant rise of pressure in the pipe 27 and its branch line 36 pressure is thus exerted on the contents of the chamber 60 and this pressure is transmitted by the pipe 58 to the bottom of the valve 40 and thus operates to raise the valve and renew the cycle.

In the apparatus shown in Figure 3 an interrupter or timing apparatus is shown the movement of which is controlled by a positively driven mechanism. Thus a casing or cylinder 62 is provided within which is a reciprocating or piston valve 61 which is operated by a piston rod 63 arranged in operative connection with a driving wheel 65 by means of a connecting rod 64. The connecting rod is mounted on the wheel in an eccentric position so that a reciprocating movement may be imparted to the piston 63 and valve 61. Power may be supplied to the wheel 65 by any suitable means such as, the driving wheel 67 and belt 66. The strokes of the valve member 61 are timed to conform to the rapidity with which the chamber 18 fills and empties.

The valve 61 is provided with a port which upon the upward stroke is adapted to register with ports 69 and 70 in the valve casing so as to establish connection between the pumping medium supply pipe 20 and the pipe 19 which conveys the pressure fluids to the chamber 18. In the apparatus shown in Fi gure 3 a modified arrangement for utilizing the residual pressure fluids in the pumping operation is shown and the valve 61 is illustrated as being adapted upon its downward stroke to establish connection through the port 68 between the pipe 19 and an exhaust port 71.

In the apparatus thus illustrated in Figure 3 and as more clearly shown in F igure 4 the pipe 19 is rovided with a by-pass line 72, and with a ranch pipe 73 which terminates within the conduit 10. The pipe 73 is provided with a check valve 74 which permits the discharge of fluid from the pipe 73 but prevents the influx of fluid from the conduit 10 into the pipe 73. A valve 75 is arranged to control the passage of fluid from the pipe 19 to the by-pass line 72 and from the pipe line 19 to the branch pipe 73. The pipe is provided with an upper seat 76 and a lower seat 77 and with resilient means 78 which tends to hold the valve 75 upon its upper seat 76 so as to prevent the admission of fluid from the pipe 19 to the pipe 72. When the pressure fluid is charged from the source 21 and pipe 20 into the pipe 19 the tension of the resilient means is overcome and the valve is moved downward to the seat 77, thus opening communication between the pipe 19 and by-pass line 72 and closing the entrance from the pipe 19 to the pipe 73. With thel Valve in this position pressure fluid is thus forced through the by-pass line 72 and used in exelling fluid collected in chamber 18. When, iowever, the valve 61 operates to establish communication between ports 70 and 71 the pressure in the upper part of pipe is thereby reduced permitting the spring 77 to force the valve 75 on its seat 76 thus closing communi-` cation between pipe 19 and by-pass line 72 and 19 and the pipe 73. The residual pressure in the pipe 19 and chamber 18 is thus relieved through the pipe 73 and valve 74 into the conduit and utilized in raising fluid in the 5 conduit 10.

It may be noted that the valves 37, 53, and| 57 may be employed to throttle down the pressure exerted in their respective lines in order to efl'ect control of the pumping operation.

lo Appa'ratus of preferred form ad construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be used but the inventive thought upon which the application is based is broader than the ivllustrative embodiment thereof and I therefore intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In well pumping apparatus, acconduit comprising an inlet section and an outlet section, means for admitting fluid into said inletb section, a check valve between said inlet and .25 outlet section, a valve chamber, a main supply pipe connecting a source of pressure with the valve chamber, a pressure pipe connecting the valve chamber and the inlet section of the conduit, a residual pressure pipeconnecting the valve chamber and the outl'et section of the conduit, a valve in said valve chamber adapted to alternately establish communication between the main supply pipe and the pressure pipe and between the pressure pipe and the residual pressure pipe, means for actuating said valve in one direction including an independent fluid filled chamber in communication with the valve chamber, a displacement chamber in said fluid chamber, and a branch 40 pipe connecting the fluid chamber with the residual pressure pipe so that residual pressure is periodically exerted on the fluid in the displacement chamber of the fluid chamber Whereby fluid is discharged from the fluid 4,5 chamber into the valve casing to move the valve, and gravity actuated means for moving the valve in the other direction.

Invwitness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11th day of September,

W. C. PABRISH. 

